Can Natural Therapies and Treatments Reverse Alzheimer’s?
In the first study of its kind, researchers have proved that natural therapies can not only slow the progress of dementia but can actually reverse it.
Dr. Bredesen is a professor of neurology at The Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer's Disease Research at UCLA, as well as a professor at the Buck Institute. The study was supported by multiple entities including the National Institutes of Health.
Dr. Bredesen believes that multiple factors influence the development of dementia and Alzheimer's. In a small study, he and his colleagues designed personalized and comprehensive protocols to reverse memory loss in 10 patients.
Doctors used a "systems approach" in treating the patients. They developed a complex, 36-point therapeutic program that includes comprehensive changes in diet, brain stimulation, exercise, optimization of sleep, specific pharmaceuticals and vitamins, and multiple additional steps that affect brain chemistry.
Dr. Bredesen's approach is based on extensive testing of each patient to determine what is affecting the signaling network in his or her brain. The protocol is then personalized for the patient. A sample protocol for one of his patients in the study included:
- eliminating all simple carbohydrates;
- eliminating gluten and processed food;
- increasing vegetables, fruits, and non-farmed fish;
- reducing stress with yoga and meditation;
- taking melatonin each night;
- increasing sleep from 4-5 hours per night to 7-8 hours per night;
- taking methylcobalamin (vitamin B12), vitamin D, CoQ10, and fish oil each day;
- optimizing oral hygiene using an electric flosser and electric toothbrush;
- hormone replacement therapy;
- fasting for a minimum of 12 hours between dinner and breakfast;
- fasting for a minimum of three hours between dinner and bedtime; and
- exercising for a minimum of 30 minutes, 4-6 days per week.
Cognitive decline is a major fear as we age. According to the Alzheimer's Association "dementia is a general term for loss of memory and other mental abilities severe enough to interfere with daily life." Alzheimer's disease – just one of many forms of dementia – accounts for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases. It affects about 5.4 million Americans and 30 million people around the world. By 2050, it's expected to grow to 160 million people globally, including 13 million Americans. There is no effective treatment for Alzheimer's and it is already the third leading cause of death in the United States.
To read the original post in it’s entirety by Margie King on Green Med Info click here.
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/7-conditions-masquerading-dementia
